Cigar nib



Sept. 3, 1968 R. A. LODI CIGAR NIB Filed July 7. 1965 \wmm g mm/raa. mesa. 4 00/ ATTUQNEKS'.

United States Patent 3,399,681 CIGAR NIB Robert A. Lodi, 1730 Victor St., Bronx, N.Y. 10462 Filed July 7, 1965, Ser. No. 470,042 2 Claims. (Cl. 131-189) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cigar nib having a head portion and a finger portion with a transverse passage extending between opposite faces of the head portion, the passage communicating with longitudinal channels in opposite faces of the finger portion, with the channel being adapted to extend inward of a cigar end when the finger portion is inserted within the cigar end.

The present invention relates to a nib such as might be used by cigar smokers. The nib is adapted to be insertable into the cigar end and allow the user to smoke the cigar holding the nib between his teeth without any interference or hampering of the normal draft necessary to maintain an evenly burning cigar.

It has been found that when a cigar is smoked, there is a tendency for the moisture to form at the end inserted in the smokers mouth and that the biting into the cigar end causes an accumulation of harsh tasting juice which serves to detract from the smokers enjoyment. The cigar end is often chewed to destruction.

Likewise, especially in short filter cigars, the biting of the end by the teeth during smoking additionally may cause a shredding of the tobacco in the smokers mouth and necessitates in many instances the cutting off of a piece of the cigar during smoking or the necessity to prematurely discard the cigar.

In the past, conventional cigar holders and various devices having tubular conduits have been used to overcome some of the aforementioned difiiculties, US. Patent No. 2,585,696 to S-obel or US. Patent No. 1,883,701 to Goldberg are illustrative of attempts of the past. With these devices the smoker did not have the cigar itself in his mouth and as such, any pleasure which was derived from the taste of the overleaf was eliminated.

In an attempt to overcome the foregoing various nibs were devised such as shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,583,235 to Rybak. The nib was so provided as to allow the smoker to grasp the nib end in his teeth while his lips closed naturally about the end of the cigar. The prior art however still contained numerous disadvantages. Either an elongated tube or hollow openings were provided through the head portion of the nib and extended into and through the lower portion of the nib which was inserted into the cigar to maintain a normal draft in smoking, or where no tube was provided, constant drawing or inhaling on the cigar was necessary to maintain a constant draft. With the hollow tube or opening inserted into the cigar or extending from the cigar end, there was always the possibility, among other things, of clogging.

According to the present invention there is provided a simple, inexpensive one-piece nib whereby the necessity for a tubular or hollow extension is eliminated, and a constant draft is maintained at the tip end of the cigar. While the cigar is held close to the lips without the need to bite into the cigar, the user is given a wider range of use and the present nib can be used on smaller length cigars. The nib end which is inserted into the cigar provides rigid holding means, there is no problem of clogging as in the prior art and it allows for the ready reuseability of the nib. The holding means also may help form a longer ash which has long been the criteria of an expensive cigar.

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Although such novel feature or features believed to be characteristic of the invention are pointed out in the claims the invention and the manner in which it may be carried out, may be further understood by reference to the description following and the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of another embodiment of the present invention inserted in a cigar end shown in phantom.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of another embodiment of the present invention inserted in a cigar end shown in phantom.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a section of FIG. 4 taken along lines 66.

FIG. 7 is a front elevation of another embodiment of the present invention inserted in a cigar end shown in phantom.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a front elevation of another embodiment of the present invention inserted in a cigar end shown in phantom.

FIG. 10 is a side elevation of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a section of FIG. 9 taken along lines 1111.

Referring now to the figures in greater detail where like reference numbers denote like parts in various figures.

As seen in FIG. 1, the nib 1 is of single piece construction, preferably of wood, plastic or other inexpensive material, having a head portion 2 and a tapering elongated finger portion 3. The nib may be of metal or some nonburnable material or be coated with a nonburnable substance. The finger portion 3 has a pair of grooves 4 extending longitudinally along opposite surfaces thereof, the grooves extending into the head portion 2 such that when the nib is placed in a cigar, the end 6 thereof will abut the juncture between the head and the finger. As shown in FIG. 2, the slot 4' can be continued downward along the entire length of the finger portion 3, however, it has been found that such an elongated slot is optional, and as shown in FIG. 1, the slot 4 can be extended but a part of the way downward on the finger portion 3. The slot need not pass cross-sectionally through the nib 1 and as shown in FIGS. 4-8 the slotting forms a recess 11. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, an opening 10 may be provided passing through the recess 11 at a point along the recess 11 within the head portion 2.

The finger portion 3 is preferably pointed so as to allow for ready insertion within the end of a cigar. The finger portion 3 need be only of sufficient length to anchor the nib 1 into the cigar 5.

In FIGS. 2 and 3 the plurality of finger portions 3 serve as an anchor holding the head 2 with the smoke passage in this case in the form of an opening passing through the body of the nib 1, at the cigar end 6.

Where the nib 1 is made of heat resistant material which will not interfere with the smoking, the cigar may be smoked down to a point well below the tip of the finger portions 3, 3' since the finger portions 3, 3' neither control nor hamper the normal draft on the cigar.

In the embodiments wherein the slots 4, 4 or recess 11 extend downwardly along the finger portions 3, 3, the sides of the finger portions 3, 3 may be shaped as arcuate ribs 8 providing gripping means to the nib 1.

The nib 1 may be symmetrical as shown in FIGS. 1-8.

The ribbing etfect may run along both the upper and lower sides of the finger portion 3 as shown in FIGS. 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. A symmetrical head 2 allows the smoker to use the cigar with the nib 1 without the fear of inverting the nib during use, though the nib 1 may be effectively used with a slot or recess on only one side of the 3 head so long as there is a form of insert on the head portion 2. I

The finger portion 3 can also be provided with notches 9 as another means of gripping the nib 1 with the cigar to provide a firm grip between the nib 1 and the cigar 5 as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the recess in the nib 1 indi cated therein as 12.

Where the recessing or slotting to form an insert portion does not extend downward along at least part of the length of the finger portion 3, 3', a flat finger portion 3 avoids blockage of the smoke flow from the cigar 5 to the nib 1.

It has been found possible where a smoker has a tendency to chew or bite down heavily on the end of a cigar, he will likewise chew on the nib 1 and possibly damage or destroy the inset configuration formed in the head portion 2. By providing a hole 10 through the head portion 2 as shown in FIG. 4, such possibility is minimized. The hole 10 also provides a greater draft area and allows for a freer smoke flow.

In the smoking of a cigar without the use of a nib 1 of the present invention, a hole is either made or pre-cut at one end of a cigar. The other end is lighted and the smoke draws naturally through the length of the cigar to the hole and to the smoker.

The nib 1 of the present invention is inserted in the cigar 5 by insertion of the finger portion 3, 3' into the pre-cut or otherwise made hole so as to have the head portion 2 juxtaposed with the cigar end 6. The head portion 2 is adapted to be placed between the teeth of the smoker and the lips of the smoker naturally close over the cigar 5 near the cigar end 6 so that the nib 1 is invisible. When the cigar is lighted, the smoke drawn towards the cigar end 6 is unhampered and a free draw is allowed.

Having thus describedcertain forms of the invention in some detail, what is claimed is:

1. An improved cigar nib comprising, a head portion, at least one finger portion extending from said head por tion, said finger portion adapted to anchor said nib within a cigar end, wherein said head portion has a slot passing cross sectional therethrough beginning at a point within said head portion is spaced from the juncture of said head portion and said finger portion and extending at least to a point adjacent to the end of a cigar when said nib is inserted within said cigar end.

2. The cigar nib of claim 1 wherein said finger portion is ribbed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 428,394 5/1890 Hoops 13113 1,023,288 4/1912 Wolleson 131'188 1,067,515 7/1913 Getman 131-13 1,904,814 4/1933 AnzelWitz 131188 2,048,626 7/1936 Schlitz 13113 2,583,235 1/1952 Rybak 13113 2,762,375 9/ 1956 Fessler. 3,050,068 8/1962 Primus 13113 FOREIGN PATENTS 721,589 12/ 1931 France. 802,728 2/ 1951 Germany.

8,480 4/1904 Great Britain. 2,809 2/ 1911 Great Britain.

JOSEPH S. REICH, Primary Examiner. 

